What To Do About Blue
by Love Psycho
Summary: While patrolling Karakura, Ichigo stumbles across a strange injured girl. Despite not knowing her or even what she is, Ichigo offers her aid. It's before Soul Society. Though Ichigo doesn't know it yet, his ignorance is bliss... Collab with Cuzosu! Ichigo/Grimmjow/Ichigo, Kisuke/Shinji and possible others. Gender Bending included.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This has been a collaborative effort between me – Love Psycho – and the wonderful and awesome Cuzosu. Look her up, seriously, she's great. Especially for offering to help with this when I confessed to having trouble by myself and was considering looking for a collab partner. I adored writing Ichigo personally, but that's no surprise – he's my favourite. I had a good time with Grimmjow as well, surprisingly. He's not the kind of character I've had practise writing before...

Cuzosu: I found Gin most entertaining to write. His character's complex, convoluted and really amusing. Writing his scene with him looking over my shoulder was very interesting as well. He had all sorts of snide comments and kept making me laugh.

This is an interesting brain child of mine – not everything is going to be explained quite yet but...there are Hollows/Arrancar that switch gender, called Switchers. And Grimmjow happens to be one of them...and Aizen finding out would be a VERY bad idea. But when would it not be?

We hope you enjoy! LP did the first, second and fifth scene. The third, fourth, sixth, and seventh come from Cuzosu. She got one more because she added one...it was a good one though, so I'm totally a-okay. We edited each others bits at points, so there isn't any contradictions in between.

**Edit 21/09/2012**

-start-

_**What To Do About Blue**_  
_Nothing Is White And Black_

The persistent headache he'd had since this morning was a warning sign that he dared not ignore. He had held off as long as he could; Aizen had come for one of his visits and all the Espada had had to come to the meeting called.

This time it had been a little more serious – a rearrangement of Espada levels. Not much, but everyone had dropped and one of them had to be killed when he "protested" his ejection from the Espada.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez scowled and paced down the white hallways, hands in the pockets of his hakama. Aside from the headache, he had that ache in his lower back which came from his Espada marking changing. He was now Espada Sexta, the sixth in power level. A new Primera had been chosen – some brown haired lazy guy who smelled of wolf and power and kept a bratty female midget.

He didn't know what to think about it. Sure, he had agreed, as had the Pack around him who became his Fracción, to join Aizen and serve him. For Grimmjow, it was for power. For his Fracción, it was to stick close to him, the ever loyal fools. They had been some of the first Arrancar made and only recently had his form been stabilized again, during the visit before today's.

He ignored the soft call of quiet concern from Yylfordt Granz as he past him on his way to his rooms, giving only a short but meaningful glance. Yylfordt immediately knew what he was telling him and used Sonído to head off to inform his other Fracción.

Sure, they were fools. But they were HIS fools; damn the consequences. After all, all of them had helped him rise to his current level and hid and protected him over the centuries. Not that he needed much protecting...

...just only for about a month every twenty years or so. And only a LITTLE, dammit.

He slipped into his room and used his enhanced senses to check to see if Aizen had replaced the bugs. Of course he had. So he carefully searched them out and disposed of them. Aizen did that every time. Never learned that all of his Arrancar, even the truly loyal ones, preferred their privacy.

Then he frowned and checked again, searching through the room carefully. He found a few more well hidden bugs and smashed those. Once he was done, Yylfordt slipped in and did a check himself, after handing over a pile of clothing.

The blond gave him a level glance. "Be careful. I don't believe Aizen-sama will be leaving until a week is up."

Grimmjow snarled at that, but nodded, and Yylfordt slipped away, carrying a few more bugs with him.

Grimmjow settled down on the bed after stripping from his current clothing. It would be easier that way.

Then he let go and hissed as his body shifted and changed, sinew, bone and flesh changing. It wasn't as painful as the first few times it happened. He was old enough that the shift was quick and practically painless.

After a moment he sat up, and stood. Walked over to the full length mirror that Yylfordt had installed for him.

Or, well, her now.

Grimmjow checked her form. Slim, but still muscular, capped by a generous bust and a sharp but sweet face. Her mask remnant was now a slim white band around her forehead, like a coronet of a sort. The signature teal hair of hers now was in a bob haircut, having lengthened slightly during the change. Her stomach was flat and smooth, showing hints of musculature that sprang to life when she clenched it. A deceptive form, hiding the immense strength and speed within a most attractive package.

Her eyes glanced down to follow the teal treasure trail leading straight to her most intimate spot. Then her eyes dropped further, looking at the Hollow hole in her left foot. She still didn't understand why it ended up there. Her eyes were raised back and she turned slightly, peering at her back. No Espada tattoo again, despite it being recently reapplied as it were. She then frowned and whirled away from the mirror. She didn't really understand why Yylfordt had installed the damn looking glass.

Grimmjow still had used it all the times she had changed since becoming an Arrancar though. Probably because as an Adjuchas the change wasn't that obvious and it still surprised her to look in the mirror one day to see a man and another to see a woman.

She walked over to the small vanity and picked up the clothing. She frowned. Last time Yylfordt had managed to get hakama. This time she had to deal with a skirt.

...she hated skirts. Mostly because all the guys seemed to like peeking up them. Assholes. They deserved losing their eyeballs for that.

But Yylfordt had to be cautious about it, so she couldn't be picky.

Switchers weren't well liked in general. And she didn't want to know what Aizen would do if he discovered this "little" thing about one of his Espada.

* * *

The halls of Las Noches always felt threatening when Grimmjow was like this. Mostly because the guys outnumbered the girls ten to one and thus most of the assholes would jump damn near anyone.

Unless you were with Harribel, now designated the Tres Espada, you were probably screwed. In any way the guys chose to.

It made Grimmjow hate them really fiercely and the Arrancar population tended to get slightly...damaged...as a result during her lock month. Not that she killed anyone, oh no. That would draw too much attention to Grimmjow's female identity. However, the guys found it hard to do anything when they were missing limbs or eyes. One time she ripped out a guy's tongue, for talking too disrespectfully to her.

Then there was that gang of poor saps who weren't going to be able to "get it up" anymore. Losing one's balls did that.

A hand on her bare shoulder made her turn. She froze as the lecherous eye of Nnoitra Gilga made it's way down her body. This wasn't an opponent she wanted to face. Sure, she could probably win.

But beating an Espada drew Aizen's attention. Baaaaaad idea.

"Well well...what do we have here.." His grin turned into a leer.

Grimmjow cursed the choice of clothing Yylfordt was able to get. She was wearing a mini-skirt that was rather clingy to her skin, and a shoulder bearing halter top that had a wide collar around her neck to hold it up, leaving her back bare except for Panthera's comforting weight. Panthera didn't change with her, so, due to the fact she shrunk a little when she made the change, the Zanpakutō had to be slung over her back to be carried. Add in the heels that made her sway as she walked and she knew _exactly_ what Nnoitra was thinking.

Too bad for him, but he wasn't her type. And never would be, after the last Switcher who...had gotten _attached_...disappeared. Nnoitra was dirty son of a bitch and Grimmjow prayed for the day she or he would be able to put him down. If only for her lost kin's sake.

"What do you want?" She hissed, shrugging his hand away from her shoulder.

Nnoitra's eye narrowed.

"That ain't sumthin a lowly Números bitch should be sayin'." He stared her down and his grin turned into something that looked it belong to something that was going to eat her. "She should be sayin' 'how do ya want it?' Ain't that right?"

Grimmjow backed up a step and was halted by Nnoitra grabbing a hold of her wrist. She glared. "Let me go."

Her calm voice threw him off momentarily then he sneered. "Or what?"

She was about to reply but was beaten to the punch.

"Or I will have to report to Aizen-sama that, once again, Nnoitra was...picking fights."

Nnoitra turned and growled at the sight of Ulquiorra Cifer, now the Cuartro Espada. He levelled his calm green eyes at him back. Grimmjow took advantage of the distraction to slip out of Nnoitra's grip.

Nnoitra felt her escape and turned to follow. Only to be pushed back by Ulquiorra's finger as with a burst of static he was suddenly in front of him.

As Grimmjow left, she heard a loud growl and the clang of Nnoitra's Zanpakutō hitting Ulquiorra's hand.

She rushed through the halls. Las Noches wasn't safe. Not with Nnoitra noticing her. Not with Aizen in residence.

Time to try the desert.

* * *

If there was one thing Grimmjow despised, it was running. And guys who hit on her, of course. But mostly it was running. Especially when she could have kicked ass instead.

So having to flee from Nnoitra instead of beating the asshole into a satisfyingly smushy pulp really galled.

Had she stayed in the desert instead of joining Aizen, then she could have fought Nnoitra—and damn, was that appealing!

She was almost to the gates of Las Noches when Gin Ichimaru – an unpleasant surprise, since Aizen's closest and most sadistic lackey didn't come to Las Noches often due to circumstances in Soul Society – stepped around a corner in front of her. A panicked gasp escaped her as she twisted frantically to avoid running full tilt into him.

The silver haired man paused just long enough to let her around, crooning in a mockingly caring voice, "Li'l thang like ya betta flee fasta, 'f ya don' wanna get caught. Grimm-kitty won' like ya takin' his weapon."

Tearing her eyes off him, she resettled her focus on the path in front of her, relieved he hadn't recognized her.

As she tore out the gate and fled into the desert, she didn't see that ever-present smirk widen behind her.

'_This is interestin'..._' Gin wasn't positive, but he suspected that the blue haired woman he'd just seen was in reality Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez...and wasn't that just intriguing? He hadn't known Hollows could change genders. And if he hadn't known...did Aizen? '_Nah,_'decided the fox-like Shinigami. '_An' I ain't tellin' him. This is gonna be amusin'..._'

* * *

The desert was a familiar, haunting scene. Empty white sands, the occasional small pond and what scarce "greenery" grew there. Off in the distance, rolling dunes to hide and hunt in. It was a hard land in its way, but—at the same time—very fulfilling.

She knelt down to get a drink, refreshing herself from the little pond she found, and felt something on the edge of her senses.

...Nnoitra. So he'd gotten away from Ulquiorra and was chasing her. Shit.

Rising, she took off, hiding her reiatsu and doing her damnedest to lose him between the dunes. Unfortunately, the bastard had luck on his side this time. Try as she might, Grimmjow just couldn't seem to shake him. He caught up fast, closing on her with a cruel grin. But he wasn't expecting her to step forward flirtatiously and then kick him in the balls.

'_Moron._' She fled again, putting on more speed as she went.

But he recovered faster than she'd hoped, probably because of that damn Hierro of his, and was soon tailing her once more. And he was livid; she supposed getting kicked in the balls was more than he'd been prepared for.

When he caught up this time, he didn't bother trying to turn her around, didn't try to swagger in and intimidate her. He doubled up his fist and socked her chin.

That was going to leave a bruise. Grimmjow barely kept from snarling in feline rage, not wanting to give herself away just yet. Not like she was only the only Cat-type Arrancar, but Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez was the only one with blue hair. Instead, she leaped as if to go over him...and slammed a hefty kick into his head from the air. She caught herself on all fours and rolled sideways—very glad she had as soon as a black boot stomped down just where she would have been.

She rose from her knees with a furious uppercut, then wasted no time in taking to her heels again. She suspected he hadn't thought she could fight in heels – most guys didn't. But Grimmjow had made a point of _learning_, just in case.

No doubt he was swearing vengeance and bloodshed and all sorts of violence, somewhere behind her.

He finally caught up again as she topped a dune and started down the other side—a time which couldn't have been more opportune for him, but which had her cursing vehemently. His lunge took her in the leg, brought her to her knees in the sand.

Biting her lip, the blue haired woman raised a hand to Panthera and resigned herself to revealing her identity as a Switcher to Aizen. If killing this asshole was what it took to keep him off her, then so be it.

She wasn't quite in time to block his next swing—still hadn't adjusted all the way to fighting as a female again. This blow caught her along the ribs, cracking at least two.

But Nnoitra couldn't hear her pained and distinctly feline yowl. He was too busy sticking his tongue out, dancing around agitatedly in the sand, making his own pained noises. None of them quite reached a scream, but that was probably because his tongue was sticking out too far.

There might have been a glow from his Espada tattoo, but Grimmjow wasn't staying around to find out!

Opening a Garganta, she fled once more—to the Human World, one of the few places she was fairly sure he couldn't catch her, even wounded as she was.

When the Garganta closed, drops of water were falling. Grimmjow had never encountered this in Hueco Mundo, where the weather was 100% predictable—the same—and decided to consult her memories for a possible answer.

Somewhere among the formerly human ones, she found a similar memory: standing in the falling water with someone, talking about the weather, calling it 'rain.'

'..._oh,_' she thought to herself. '_Rain_...'

Shaking herself more aware, she crouched on the ground, shivering, to concentrate fully on her wound. '_I need to heal this._'

She didn't notice anyone was there until a voice spoke.

* * *

It was raining.

Ichigo scowled and looked up at the overcast sky, feeling the pounding drop hit him, a few getting into an eye that he blinked away. As he dropped his head back down, the rain increased in pressure, if only briefly.

Ichigo hated the rain.

He sighed and wondered how the hell the rain effected his spirit form. His black Shinigami robes – Rukia called them Shihakushō – clung to his form and his hair plastered itself to his skull.

'_If I get sick, I am so going to be pissed._' He thought.

He was currently out on patrol. Rukia had told him he didn't need to do it – in fact she seemed to have other thing to do herself, thus her absence from his closet – but Ichigo had insisted. After all, he had run into a few Hollows today already. Nothing big, but getting rid of them was a good idea.

He also had found a few more Plus and done Konsō so that they wouldn't draw any Hollows to them.

Ichigo sighed and considered finding some shelter from the rain – or even going home. As he looked around the street a flash of bright colour caught his eye. He frowned and looked carefully. There was a form of a sort, huddled in an alleyway nearby. Curious, but cautious, Ichigo approached, hand on the hilt of his Zanpakutō.

When he got there he stopped, shocked. It was a girl, looking close to his age from what he could tell. He could sense a spiritual aura to her, one he didn't recognize, that said that she was a spirit. However, she was as solid looking as Rukia looked like before and he did currently.

He stepped closer and then noticed the red staining her white clothing. Blood. She was bleeding, badly.

He crouched down. "Hey." He said softly. "You okay?"

Her head lifted up, pure fear on her features. Her admittedly pretty features – a bit sharp, but her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue that matched her hair and her lips were full. She blinked upon seeing him and tried to get away – something very difficult with the wound she had.

Ichigo lifted his hands up to show he wasn't being threatening. "Hey, it's okay. I won't hurt you." He eyed her further. "You look like you need help." He hesitated then decided to screw it. Rukia can complain all she wanted. He wasn't going to leave anyone in pain.

"Come on. I can get you to safety..." His reached out hand was slapped away.

"Go away, _Shinigami_." She snarled. Her voice was as deep as Rukia's, though there was a purr to it that made it sexy if Ichigo was to be honest. Her eyes looked at him with something like rage, a bit of hate...and a lot of fear. "I don't need your help."

Ichigo frowned and then snorted. "Like hell you don't. Look, I don't know what you are or what your problem with Shinigami is. I don't care. You need help, so I'm going to give it to you. You can argue all you want, but it would be easier for the both of us if you let me help." He paused. "Besides, I'm a Substitute. Not a real Shinigami."

She blinked. She was surprised. "You...don't know what I am?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Nope. But I'm going to help you anyways."

"Why?"

Her voice seemed a little lost then, and she looked at him as if she had never seen anyone like him. Like no one had ever offered her help for no reason other than to give it before.

It made him want to hit someone – no one should have to deal with things all on their own.

"Because it's the right thing to do. Come on, let me help you up."

This time she accepted his hand, and he lifted her up. She staggered and nearly fell, if it wasn't for Ichigo catching her. He frowned – her leg didn't look good. And there were a few other bruises and cuts on her as well. Her clothing had been damaged, too.

'_What happened to her?_'

Ichigo didn't ask, seeing the look on her face. Sheer stubbornness. She didn't want help, but was letting him give it because she didn't see another way around it. She wouldn't answer any questions he asked.

Slowly, he helped her limp her way down the street – until he decided to screw it and picked her up, settling her into his arms. She let out a yelp of surprise but after a moment settled down.

He didn't see the look on her face as he carried her away.

It was a strange look, that couldn't decide what to be – happy, angry or even confused.

* * *

Ichigo set her down on his bed, told her to wait just a moment, then rummaged in one of his drawers for his first aid kit – one of the perks of having a doctor for a father. Blushing slightly, the Substitute Shinigami asked her to extend her leg so he can treat it.

As soon as the wound came into sight, his blush faded. He pulled out the peroxide, warned her that it was going to hurt, and poured it on the gash.

Pinkened bubbles foamed from the wound for a time, the peroxide cleansing blood as well as cut flesh. Remembering Rukia healing him once or twice, Ichigo had to ask.

"If I hold the edges of the wound closed, can you heal it, or should I pull out the suture kit?"

"I can heal it," she told him.

Her tone came across somewhat haughty, but Ichigo was used to ignoring tempers. Keigo had given him plenty of practice with dramatic emotions.

So he merely squeezed the skin together and held it there while her hands lit up with reiatsu and she placed them over his.

It was an odd sensation. He'd been healed before, but that had been only Rukia and he'd been distracted or it had been a minor wound. So he'd never had the chance to feel healing as done to others.

This energy felt...raw? No, more...it was doing as bidden, but it had...untapped potential. Yes, that felt right. Like it could have gone faster, or...well, Ichigo wasn't entirely sure. He was still pretty new at this.

But...

"You good at healing?" he asked. She didn't strike him as a healer, but maybe that was just her fiesty attitude.

She graced him with a scathing glance that told him no without saying a word.

Which meant she just knew a few healing Kidō, right? Rukia knew them, so it was probably standard.

"My name's Kurosaki Ichigo. What's your name?" he asked. "I can't very well go around calling you 'You' all the time."

Silence.

He sighed. "Well, then, would you mind if I gave you a name?"

She shrugged.

Looking at her, the only name that came to mind was: "Aoi."

Eyes that blue he'd just named her for look at him from under raised brows. "Really? _Blue_?You can't think of anything else?"

Blushing—and scowling because he knew he was turning red—the young Substitute Shinigami grumbled, "Well, I never said I was good with names; I suck with them, actually. So don't blame me if you still won't give me your real name." He glared.

Her glare turned toward the corner; apparently she still wasn't going to tell him her name. Oh well...

The conversation moved on from there as she got curious over his room. He had no problems explaining anything to her; he was used to doing his best to explain human technology and customs to Rukia. Frankly, Aoi was better than her.

When Rukia came in a few hours later, she raised a brow at Ichigo over the girl in his room but said nothing, only greeted Aoi politely. To Ichigo, it was another test passed. He'd never met a Hollow that could hide what it was from Rukia, thanks to her experience. Too bad Ichigo didn't realize that there were beings that could hide their reiatsu and that Rukia was weaker than either he or she thought.

Conversation wore down, all three getting tired. And when Rukia shut the closet door with an admonishment that he "do nothing Aoi didn't want him to," Ichigo rolled his eyes, pulling a spare set of sheets from a nearby drawer.

"You're the guest; you get the bed, Aoi," he said.

He didn't know that it was the first time anyone except her Pack had been so kind to her. And for them, it was far from completely selfless, unlike Ichigo who did it just because it was the right thing.

* * *

In the throne room of Las Noches, a number of Espada stood before Aizen. Gin stood next to the throne, silver hair shining around his amused grin. In this case, _amused_ wasn't much different than _malicious_ because he wasn't particularly fond of Nnoitra—the one in trouble. Aizen could tell whose tattoo had reacted, and he was NOT pleased.

The Quinto tried to scream, a sound that came out more like a broken squall, a baby's cry, than a scream of pain. It was his own fault for getting the tattoo on his tongue. He would get no pity from Ichimaru Gin.

Ulquiorra claimed to know what had happened, which Gin found particularly interesting because he hadn't passed the Cuartro Espada on his way back to the depths of the castle...and unless the green eyed man had flown, there was only one way out. So either Ulquiorra had sought solitude, or he'd been unaccountably nosy and was now interfering to keep punishment from falling on a certain absent Sexta. And that...that was interesting indeed...

Nnoitra's pained, strangled scream brought Gin out of his musing. It was quite a pleasant sight, really; that long tongue was out, hands flying about, trying to find a way to ease the pain, but each touch wrought only more torment.

As those tortured sounds overwhelmed the calm cadence of the Cuartro's voice another time, Aizen frowned. He didn't want to stop the punishment—it was justified—but he was trying to listen to a reliable account of the incident in question.

Luckily, Gin had the perfect solution.

"Think I get what's goin' on here, Aizen-taichō," he said, smiling incessantly. Not that there was anything new about that. "Want ta send th' Quinto to a cell in th' Cuartro's care? Pretty sure I can tell ya what happened; I was walkin' back this way when they left."

Those piercing eyes assessed him for a moment, but Gin was unfazed. Aizen had been his taichō for longer than Seireitei figured. And he'd always been able to obscure the truth when he wanted to.

"Very well." Aizen's gaze flicked to the Cuartro, then to the Quinto, and then to the door.

Ulquiorra bowed, careful to show respect. Sometimes shows of respect were all that kept Switchers safe. Especially around Aizen-sama. And then he uncaringly seized his fellow Espada by the hair and hauled him bodily along the corridors.

Nnoitra attempted to swear and curse at the Cuartro, but merely made his tongue hurt worse. His whimpers as he left were balm to Gin's ears—and maybe particularly to Ulquiorra's.

The ruler of Las Noches waited until the door shut behind his followers before turning to the man who had followed him longest. "Ulquiorra claims it was a fight. Do you agree?"

"Yeah, fairly sure," agreed the silver haired man. "Saw an Arrancar racin' off to th' desert with Grimm-kitty's Panthera, then Grimmjow rushed past t' chase 'er, an' Nnoitra...I think he was chasin' th' girl, not Grimmjow, but I dunno."

"I see..." There was silence as Aizen pondered this information.

Gin was carefully indifferent. He'd learned long ago that he got results more like what he wanted that way...at least in situations like this.

Aizen waved a hand at the room. "The Espada are dismissed. Gin, I'll leave Nnoitra to you for now."

"Gotcha, taichō," affirmed the smiling man. He bowed and exited the room as well, heading down to the dungeons.

Surely Ulquiorra was smart enough to take his chance and...warn...the Quinto what would happen if he were to wag his tongue about a certain blue haired female absconding with Panthera, right? Well, if he wasn't, that's not Gin's problem, really, though it was certainly an interesting situation.

He walked past Ulquiorra in the halls just outside the dungeon, nodded affably, and shut the door behind him. There was no need to lock it; entering the dungeons without Aizen's permission carried with it quite the penalty.

As he reached the Quinto's cell, Gin saw the look on Nnoitra's face. He'd sworn vengeance, which meant Ulquiorra had done exactly what the silver haired man wanted. If he were the gloating kind, he might lord it over the imprisoned Nnoitra. But he wasn't, and he wouldn't, because sooner or later Nnoitra would be released to carry out Aizen's orders, and then Gin wouldn't have such a luxury as free speech.

Still, as he pulled implements out of drawers and off walls, he let his smile turn sharper at the corners, let a bit of that smugness into his voice. He let his tone alone say that he was laughing at Nnoitra for displeasing Aizen and becoming his own temporary play thing, because he knew that it would be salt in open wounds.

In the end, he was pretty sure that the Quinto swore vengeance on two people that night. And he was also fairly certain the vow would be equally ineffective on both...

-tbc-

A/N: Finished! For now. Next chapter should be coming up soon...ish. We hope you enjoyed the beginning of our fic!

Magic cupcakes for the reviewers! -edges away from Cuzosu who is drooling- ...fine, you get some too. Save some for the reviewers though! -grabs own cupcake after a moment of thought- Reviews mean love!

~Love Psycho

& Cuzosu

Out for now.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello! Back again. Wow, I had a great time yesterday – I was at the Ottawa Folk Festival. Specifically to see GREAT BIG SEA! Yay! They were _**awesome**_. There were a few problems – they stuck to the RAIN or shine thing and the parking was...sucky. Luckily the raining off and on had stopped by the time Great Big Sea came on, but I still had to deal with the mud...my shoes are RUINED I tell you, RUINED.

Either way, I'm in such a happy mood, I'm willing to post the next day. I'm not going again today or tomorrow though – too expensive, especially with my appetite...though I did discover pulled pork poutine...yum!

Scenes 2, 4, 5, and 7 are by LP. Scenes 1, 3, and 6 are by Cuzosu. My turn to put in an extra scene...

**Warnings**(forgot this last time...): Yaoi/Yuri/Het, some blood, mature content, Gender Bending and swearing. You don't like, you can always leave.

**Edit 21/09/2012**

-start-

_**What To Do About Blue**_  
_Taste So Sweet (This Place)_

Gin wasn't sure what to make of this new Primera.

Oh, the man's power was obvious, even when he was sleeping—which was most of the time. But there were little details that bothered him...

So when he found himself traversing the castle to find the newest Espada, he knew he had to be careful. This man was a predator, wily and tough, and if Gin were to slip up, he might find himself in a heap of trouble. Best not to take chances, then.

But to his surprise, when he knocked on the door, his only answer was the green haired girl's yell of rage and a series of thumps that seemed to indicate violence.

Was this new Primera abusing the girl? He slipped inside to see.

Only to stop dead even though they appeared not to notice his presence.

"Get up, ya lazy ass!" shouted the girl, kicking him in the ribs when he didn't immediately move. "Starrk, dammit, I outta kill ya fer makin' me do everythin'!" She whirled and started stomping toward the door, then froze. "What're ya doin' inside our rooms? We didn't invite ya!"

Gin held up his hands in a gesture of peace that didn't necessarily mean anything. He was here to assess a possible threat, after all. "I heard violence," he stated calmly. "Thought 'e might be doin' somethin' Aizen-sama wouldn't want, so I came ta check it out." His smile never wavered.

"Him?" scoffed the girl. "Yeah, right... Only thing he does without permission is sleep!" She kicked him again for good measure, then stomped to the door. "I'm gettin' somethin' ta eat," she called back over her shoulder. "Starrk can fend fer himself."

The door shut behind her, leaving one man drowsy and aching, the other mildly perplexed. Ichimaru wasn't used to being treated so brusquely by anyone; even Aizen was more polite. What a novel experience this was turning into...

"So, Starrk," the Shinigami began. "I've got some questions."

Heaving a sigh that clearly stated how unimpressed the brunet was, he mumbled, "I want to sleep..."

"An' I don' care," smiled Gin, cruel amusement evident. Continuing on like the exchange had been unimportant—which was indeed the case—the silver haired man posed his first question. "What's th' deal with th' girl?"

"Lilynette? She's my other half," explained the brunet—and then yawned widely. "Part of me in a separate form." He rolled over onto his belly, chin tucked into the blankets, and eyed the intruder lazily.

Watching the Primera through slitted eyes, Gin was reminded of nothing so much as a sated wolf that just wasn't going to bother attacking this morsel in front of it right now, however irritating it became. In a way, it was irksome to be considered in such a manner. And yet, on the other hand, there was still something hidden behind those hooded eyes. Something he couldn't quite make out. There was more to this Primera than could be immediately discerned.

He never had been able to resist a worthwhile challenge—figuring out this brunet was near the top of his list. Right after the goal he figured would get him killed in the process.

"Gonna take on any more Fracción?"

One brown eyebrow rose. "And have less time to sleep?" He yawned again, and Gin noted with interest that his canines were rather pointed.

'_A predator beneath that skin yer wearin', huh? Then that lazy attitude has gotta be a façade._'

"...why'd ya join? Doesn't seem like ya'd want ta make th' effort it takes ta fight a war."

"...we were lonely."

Gin looked a silent query at him, but Starrk was too caught up in memory to notice.

"... Hard to make friends when just being in our presence is lethal for most Hollows."

It was probably the most pitiful thing he'd heard from the other man yet, but the Shinigami couldn't find it in him to pity someone who had such a presence. He could be forgotten in a meeting room because he was so quiet—well, unless he started snoring—or he could let his power out and draw everyone's eye. The former was more his style, Gin could tell, but he was capable of the latter as well.

"... I see," he finally said. He wasn't sure if this made him need to be more wary around the Primera, or if it was okay to be less on guard. Sharing secrets was something girls were good at—he'd learned that from Rangiku a long time ago—but he'd always kept his cards close to his chest. No, he wasn't sharing his secrets with anyone...

Coyote Starrk didn't agree with Gin's words. "No, you don't see. You've never had to divide yourself into two physical forms in order to have company. And even then it's not quite company because it's you, and in a way that makes you even more lonely."

"Alright," conceded the silver haired man. "Ya got a point. But I'd like to know more, sometime," he said, rising. "Too bad I got places ta be right now. I'll catch ya another time, eh?" That incessant smile was still on his face, even after all he'd heard, and he flashed the other man a flirtatious smirk as he left, more out of habit than anything else.

He couldn't see Starrk staring after him as he left the room. The wheels in his head were turning too fast for him to have noticed, anyway.

'_Divided himself? There're two. One's male, one's female. So how'd 'e divide himself into different genders? Unless..._' His eyes widened for a split second, then narrowed again. '_Unless he's the same way Grimm-kitty is!_'

If only he had time to find a safe place to discuss this possible secret! But he would be missed if he didn't get back soon.

Some days it seemed his work was never done.

* * *

The Human World was strange, Humans were weird, but Kurosaki Ichigo was the weirdest and strangest of all.

Grimmjow languished on top of the roof of the "school" Ichigo insisted on going to, legs dangling over the air. Despite the Hollows and the like constantly interrupting his classes and the strange "friends" he had, he was stubborn in that regard.

"I want to have a life here." Ichigo had told her fiercely when she had asked in curiosity. "If I want a life here, I need to be able to get a job. I need to get through school to do that. No Hollow or whatever is going to stop me."

He had thrown the tiny girl who claimed – though Grimmjow had a hard time believing due to her weak power – to be a Shinigami a _look_. In specific, she was the one who had made Ichigo a Substitute Shinigami. Grimmjow wasn't certain if Ichigo was angry with her or even grateful for the strength he had been given.

Grimmjow frowned and trailed a hand in a figure-eight pattern on the concrete beside her in thought. She had never met anyone or heard of anyone like Ichigo before. Though perhaps that was because Ichigo was Human. She was a Hollow, an Arrancar. Her "life" had been much different than his.

Her bright eyes followed him as the orange-haired boy did the current class – one outside and that Ichigo called "gym", for some strange reason. He was athletic, very athletic. Even in his weaker Human form, he obviously wasn't that much of a pushover. Especially to other humans.

Grimmjow eyed the others around him. Quite a few were showing hints of going spiritual power, with a good reason – Ichigo's power spilled over and filled the air with it's taste and scent. It was powerful, so very powerful and made a part of her squirm. Not in fear, but in _anticipation_. Even with the cold feel of the midget's power laid over top, Ichigo had more power than she thought possible – and hints of greater potential.

The closest she could compare it to was the recent acquisition of Aizen's – the Primera. But it seemed Ichigo was ignorant of his power.

And even if he did know of it, he probably wouldn't really care. For him, power was a tool, much like any other. He didn't care for it except in an abstract form.

Ichigo claimed his name was spelt _One Protector_, after Grimmjow had made an ill-advised comment upon seeing a basket of a certain red berry on the counter in his house's kitchen. Privately, she had to admit it fit.

Grimmjow tossed her head back to drain the dregs of the can of the sweet bubbly liquid called "soda" then discarded the can on the roof's concrete covering. It was one of many – Grimmjow had found a group of strange metal and glass machines containing this and a bunch of other things, like "candy" and "coffee". The coffee had been actually pretty good, though it had taken some time to find the one type she really liked – it said it had only a few sugars in it, and no milk. Much better than the tea swill Aizen forced on her.

She had also found others, like that "ice cream" and the weird one that had flappy books filled with images of naked women. She thought they were weird and had tossed them into the street after a bit, which had for some reason caused all the humans in the street to freak. Weirdos.

She liked the ice cream though. And the candy. She knew why Ichigo hoarded those strange mud-coloured bars, now that she had eaten a bunch.

Perhaps she should borrow some...

A passing thought caused her to looked down at the clothes Ichigo had gotten her. She was glad that she had been able to shift them into a spiritual form so she could wear them. She liked them too – Ichigo, and the so-called Shinigami if she was honest to herself, had good taste. The midget had been needed for certain things in fact. Like the harness Ichigo called a bra. She scratched at another itch it caused then sighed. Ichigo had freaked when he found out she didn't have one – or panties.

Well, she had to admit the former made carrying her _load_ easier. And the panties meant any guy who looked up her skirt or tried anything had an extra obstacle in the way. One that would give her enough time to kick his ass.

The bell rang and caused her to jump and curse at the air. She still hadn't gotten used to the stupid thing. And it had almost been a week. She peered down and watched Ichigo head back inside, to change out of his gym clothes obviously. She then reached back and pulled one of her spoils over blindly. She frowned.

What was beer?

* * *

Ichigo had hoped Aoi was in his room—and she was—but he had _no _idea what he was getting into. If he'd known... Well, if he'd known he'd have charged home even faster, to be honest.

There were candy wrappers and cans everywhere, empty bags of chips...pretty much everything that could be found in vending machines.

… Wait. She had no money. Had she stolen all of this?

Candy. Soda pop. Chips. Gum—he rolled his eyes and tried to avoid thinking about whether or not she'd swallowed that—and the occasional pack of instant ramen. And he'd seen a bunch of adult magazines in the trash on the way home; now that he thought about it, that was rather suspicious.

He sighed. "Did you pay for any of that, Aoi?"

Blue eyes glanced up at him. "Pay?"

"So you stole it." '_Great_...'

As if life was conspiring against him—or at least as if females were—there came a crunching sound from the closet. Ichigo froze; this meant Rukia was home. He paused indecisively until the pop and hiss of a can opening came to his ears.

When the door was flung open, Rukia turned her head and blinked at him, in the middle of taking a drink.

"I come home to find her relaxing with stolen food, stolen drinks—and you're _joining her?"_

Setting the soda in her lap, the Kuchiki female calmly said, "I don't think she understands the notion of payment yet. It's something to teach her, but there's nothing wrong with stealing for survival, which is what she thought she was doing, I'm sure."

Somehow, that calm rebuttal infuriated him even more, so he turned to lecture—_teach_—Aoi about the niceties of life in the Human World. But she was on her feet, heading towards him...and she was not steady on said feet.

'_What the hell has she been getting into?_'

"Aoi?"

She stumbled on the edge of the bedding on the floor, one foot managing to get tangled up in the sheets. Her balance shot, she was heading face first for the floor when Ichigo stepped forward and caught her.

The blue haired woman took a deep breath, face pressed against his chest, then looked up and practically purred, "You smell good."

Face burning with embarrassment, Ichigo tried to find a polite place to settle his gaze. Usually this would mean eye contact, but her busty chest was pressed against him and easily visible around the sharp lines of her face...and, being a straight teenage male, he had an increasingly hard problem demanding resolution.

Rukia was watching, eyes alight with interest, from the open closet door. Ichigo didn't want to start anything—sex or a relationship—and that was obvious to anyone who knew him. Oh, he was straight, no doubt about that...but he also wasn't out to go headfirst off the deep end, especially with someone he'd barely met. So she called out, "Don't do anything Aoi doesn't want you to!"

'_Yes, Rukia, very helpful..._' Grouchy? Ichigo? Maybe a little...

And then Aoi reached a hand down toward his pants. "So much power," she purred. "I've always wanted to find a man with power and integrity..."

Now that was an interesting way to put it... Behind them, Rukia's eyes danced as she reached out and pulled the closet door shut. Ichigo was bound to flee the situation, which meant Aoi was going to be left hanging, and she had no intention of being a voyeur if the blue haired woman decided to...help herself, so to speak.

Eyes wide even as his body reacted to the feminine touch, Ichigo had a brief moment of panic and shoved Aoi away. Her arms pinwheeled as she went over backwards and fell on her ass beside the bed. As Ichigo rushed out of the room with a muttered, "Excuse me," the blue haired woman eased back to lean against the bed. He didn't see her pout as he fled.

The bathroom door slammed shut behind him, the lock clicking firmly into place. Ichigo fell back against the door with a sigh of relief, only to groan when his erection throbbed. Clearly, it wasn't going to go away without help.

So he stripped and hopped into a cold shower.

Nothing. His cock stayed hard despite the frigid water turning the rest of him into an icicle.

'_I really didn't want to do this..._'

One hand reached down. Stroking himself firmly, he couldn't get the image out of his mind—of Aoi falling against him, breasts crushed to his chest, that face so obviously yearning for a good romp in the sheets.

It didn't take him long to finish, shuddering as he leaned against the wall. His body finally relaxed, Ichigo cursed. "Fuck!" He hadn't meant to do that.

'_But she wanted to,_' crooned a voice in his head.

He stubbornly ignored it, resolved not to give in. Lust was good, but he wasn't going to hop in bed with someone he'd just met! Okay, technically she'd been with them for a week, but he still didn't know that much about her.

So he rinsed off, dried off, and dressed, then returned to his room. He wasn't expecting to see Aoi slumped against the side of the bed, sound asleep. As he stepped toward her, his foot nudged a can, which rolled away. Sharp eyes read the label as it turned: beer. She'd been drinking. No wonder she'd acted so...forward...all of a sudden. She'd seemed kind of shy so far, a little wary, like she still wasn't sure what to make of him.

With a put-upon sigh and a roll of his eyes, Ichigo bent down and picked her up, laying her gently in his bed. She really was cute when she slept—even if he didn't want to admit his growing attraction to her.

He picked up the trash she'd left scattered on the floor before collapsing on the sheets she'd stumbled over earlier. As tired as he was, it didn't take him long to fall asleep.

* * *

The great white halls of Las Noches echoed. This was an indisputable fact – no matter how quiet or fast you were, the acoustics of the palace picked up every step, every whisper.

Thus, Ulquiorra Cifer's steps were loud, no matter how he placed them.

Blank faced as always, his mind was busy like a beehive despite the serene surface. The swan serene and undisturbed as far as one could tell – for one couldn't see it paddling furiously underneath the still surface of the lake.

Aizen-sama was going to leave soon, in a day or so. So was Ichimaru Gin. It was the last that worried him.

Ichimaru had, strangely enough, supported his tale previously. The one hiding Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez's Switcher status. That made that back of Ulquiorra's neck crawl, despite not showing it. He did not doubt that Ichimaru, whom he heard had saw her pass, would not recognize Grimmjow. Aizen-sama would most likely not – however, he would know that she was no Arrancar he had changed with the Hōgyoku. And that would...not be pleasant. Ulquiorra had to wonder what made the silver fox choose to keep quiet on that front – and what his plans were. Ulquiorra had had his suspicions on Ichimaru's loyalty...now he had further proof. Not that he would bring it to Aizen-sama's attention. He owed Ichimaru that much for helping, for whatever the reason, conceal the existence of the Switchers for a little more longer.

Ulquiorra had been called for a final meeting before Aizen-sama left. Before entering the meeting, he had paused and reached out with his reiatsu senses. An ability he had no choice but to develop earlier in life allowed him to know what Aizen-sama, and Ichimaru were speaking of.

The plan had shifted – things would move faster than originally planned for Aizen-sama had discovered a way to improve his chances. Or so he claimed to Ichimaru.

The meeting confirmed it and now Ulquiorra was heading back to his rooms. The sense of the Sexta's Fracción huddled together in the Sexta's currently empty rooms caused him to pause briefly and hesitate. Then reach out with his senses.

"Grimmjow-sama still hasn't returned." The signature revealed this to belong to Di Roy Rinker.

"Well, he chased an Arrancar girl into Hueco Mundo. A girl who managed to steal his Zanpakutō. Of course he will be gone for some time." This from Yylfordt Granz, the Octava's brother if Ulquiorra recalled correctly. Underneath he picked up the hidden message – _Grimmjow was still in her lock month. She wouldn't dare return until it was over, especially after running into Nnoitra._

Of course, Ulquiorra didn't actually _hear_ any of this. No. It came from an unique talent he had developed when all he had was his reiatsu sense and his sense of touch.

_Soft hands carding through his fur._

"_Oh my treasure...don't let it bring you down. You've got to turn this minus into a plus, that is all."_

His lips tightened and he walked briskly on. The past wasn't going to help him.

However, it gave him a purpose.

Whatever it took, the existence of the Switchers must not be discovered by Aizen-sama. It was bad enough for other Hollows to torment them. For an ambitious and unscrupulous Shinigami...no. Aizen-sama had his loyalty.

But no one had the right to harm the Switchers.

* * *

The next day had Ichigo cursing a blue-streak. Not anything to do with Aoi though – but plenty to do with Rukia and Soul Society.

Kaizō Konpaku. Mod Souls. Massacred by Soul Society when they decided they weren't morally right.

What the hell was morally right about killing other beings for your own failings?

Either way, he was now chasing down one who had just gotten a taste of freedom when Ichigo had accidentally gotten him (he couldn't use _it_, not with the Mod Soul in his body) instead of the standard Gikon Rukia had meant to give him.

As Ichigo tried to find the damn body-snatcher, his mind trailed back to this morning. Aoi had woken up very grumpy and irate with him. Whether it was because of a hangover, or because she remembered her actions too clearly while intoxicated, he didn't know. However, he was relieved to get some distance between the two of them.

It seemed the..._shower_ of his had caused his libido to skyrocket in regards to Aoi. He had to admit, that honestly she was a damn fine specimen of woman. Didn't take any shit from anyone either, but knew enough to back off when necessary. A strong, capable warrior. And picked up things quickly when it came to the Human World. In some ways too quickly, as the vending machine incident showed.

Ichigo was personally grateful that no one in his family either came in during this or noticed him sneaking the garbage out of his room. He didn't want to attempt to explain anything, especially the beer cans. And there had been a ridiculous amount of those, empty ones at that.

"_So much power. I've always wanted to find a man with power and integrity..."_

Ichigo felt his face heat even remembering that. Despite all the...boobs and close contact, it was that line that drew his attention. He had never, ever been considered...a _good guy_. His orange hair had made him a "freak" when younger and a punk nowadays to those of both his age grouper and older. No one ever expected anything good or great from him, other than his family.

So those words – especially _integrity_ – they meant a lot he had to admit.

He then frowned.

'_I could have sworn that in the morning when she "attacked" me she...had claws. And fangs. Damn, I really do wonder what exactly she is. I doubt she's truly dangerous, but she doesn't seem to be a Shinigami...and apparently she doesn't really use that sword of hers much._' He knew the latter well – both from asking and from the beating she had given him when he had challenged her in his Shinigami form to hand-to-hand combat.

He had then demanded she teach him a few tricks once he finished spitting the dirt from his teeth and, with a strange look in her eyes, she had agreed.

He wondered now, as he finally spotted his double, if that had anything to do with the confessed attraction that, if he was honest, was growing between the two of them...

* * *

Rukia Kuchiki was laying down in the closet, musing on the events of the last day or two.

It was strange. Aoi had been drinking what pretty much had to be some sort of liquor, so her behaviour had changed—to the point that she'd quite clearly flirted with and been seductive toward Ichigo. (Actually, that had been amusing, especially the part where Ichigo had to run to the bathroom to hide, and then stayed in there so long there was no doubt he'd jerked off when a cold shower didn't work.) She didn't know Aoi that well yet, but she had a feeling the blue haired woman was a good person at heart, so she was cheering for them...though silently, so Ichigo wouldn't overreact.

Aoi was interesting enough without the relationship she seemed to be building with Ichigo, however. She was a fighter who often didn't bother to even draw her sword. After that hand to hand match with him, she had started teaching the Substitute Shinigami—and she was good at it, at least with Ichigo as the pupil. Not to mention, she sure was picking up Human World customs quickly. It made her presence easier for Ichigo to handle in one way...though Rukia was still highly amused by the lust he so obviously felt for the blue haired woman. And, okay, so it wasn't like that lust had to be sated or anything, but...she kind of hoped they'd get together. They were so cute as a couple.

Though...Rukia didn't understand just what Aoi's issue was with names. She'd call Ichigo by name, but Rukia herself was always "Shinigami" or some other such nickname. This was confusing—and served to deepen her interest in the blue haired stranger, though otherwise business was as usual, so to speak. Ichigo was still killing Hollows and Rukia was still teaching him (and, in turn, being surprised by his instinctual Shinigami abilities), it was just that suddenly there was another fighter roaming around with them, one who was more than willing to kick a little Hollow ass.

And then she'd gone to Urahara's shop this morning—and all hell broke loose. How was Rukia to know that she'd wound up with one of the Kaizō Konpaku, with a Mod Soul? One who had a very strong will and a definite inclination for life, at that.

Kon, which was the pathetic name Ichigo had chosen for him (maybe next time they found someone who needed a name, Rukia should be in charge of that?), was a strange one, for a Mod Soul. A free spirit in the truest sense, he'd latched onto them—to her—like a limpet. How sad that Kon had never known anyone to care for him. Doomed from birth. So scared of dying he couldn't bear to kill another, no matter what. And then the Mod Soul had fallen into Urahara's hands, and then into hers.

Good thing Urahara wasn't the type to bother overmuch about rules. So he'd agreed to turn a blind eye to the Mod Soul in their keeping, saying only that if it was discovered, no one at the shop knew a thing. That was easily agreed to, and Rukia thought better of the blond shop owner for it.

But then, when things had settled down some, she'd realized that Aoi was acting strangely. Almost like she was uneasy about...something. Something to do with Ichigo. It concerned her, but Rukia had no intention of getting involved. Let them work out their own mess.

She had other worries. Like Seireitei, and when she might expect fellow Shinigami to start arriving. Not to mention how to keep Ichigo out of it. Yes, that last part worried her most of all, because she knew the male well enough now to know that he would see it as his job to protect her, he'd think that if anything happened it was his fault. Which was not the case, but certainly had her trying to plan ahead.

All of these thoughts whirled around and around in her head, until they finally exhausted her enough so that she dropped into a deep sleep.

* * *

The next day dawned bright and clear...

...and there was an animated plushy on Ichigo's face, wacking him ineffectually with his hands.

Ichigo grumbled and flung Kon away. Only to get a startled sound from the bed. Ichigo turned and blinked. Aoi was back.

The busty bluenette stared at the squirming Mod Soul in her hands, blinking wildly in confusion.

When Ichigo had come back home after dealing with Kon, Aoi had been nowhere to be found. Apparently, she had sneaked back during the night. Ichigo looked at the open window and sighed. At least she didn't have to break it – the window had been unlocked.

Kon had stopped struggling and was staring up at Aoi with something like awe. "Ichigo! You didn't tell me you knew such a hot chick!" He looked her up and down, focusing on her chest. He held out a plush hand. "Good job!"

Ichigo blinked. '_Was..is that a thumbs up?_' After a moment, what Kon was saying clicked. Ichigo sputtered. "Dammit, Kon! She's a friend!"

Aoi looked at him, surprised. Ichigo ignored that in favour of scolding Kon, though he felt a pang. Had no one ever called her friend before?

"Ah...I see...she's free uh?" Kon turned his gaze back to Aoi. "Hey...looking good...want some proper company?" He wiggled his eyebrows. Ichigo didn't want to contemplate how that was possible. That way lay madness...

A thundercloud would have been friendlier than Aoi's expression then. "You..."

"Oi, don't kill him." Ichigo told her, standing up and grabbing some clothes before heading to the door. "Like you, he's under my protection." He sighed. "No matter how annoying he gets," he muttered.

Aoi watched him go, then kicked the plushy away, letting him hit the closet door. A yelp was heard and the midget poked her head out. Then looked down. She smirked. "Seems you've met the new addition."

Aoi scowled and crossed her arms. "Yeah..." She looked the plushy over. "What is he?"

Ichigo returned dressed in his school uniform just as Rukia was finished explaining Mod Souls to Aoi, who seemed utterly fascinated by the concept.

As he approached the bed and set about remaking it – Aoi had already changed while talking to Rukia, though it had taken a long time to convince her to change every day – he wondered at something. There was something in the back of his mind, something nagging at him. Something important.

As he picked up his watch to place it on his wrist, he spotted the date. And froze.

The conversation with Rukia stopped abruptly, as Aoi turned with a surprised look on her face to look at Ichigo. The Mod Soul stopped complaining, as Rukia halted in her stomping, and turned to look with the bluenette. Neither Rukia or Kon were strong enough to get a full read on Ichigo's reiatsu, but they could read body language very well.

Aoi felt like she was going to throw up. Ichigo's power had never carried sunshine and rainbows with it, but it had been pretty normal despite that. But this...this was darkness, deep bitter sorrow, self-hatred and loathing.

"Ichigo?" Aoi asked, hesitantly.

Ichigo abruptly picked up his school bag and whirled out the door.

Rukia and Aoi exchanged glances then turned to look at the closed door.

Something wasn't right.

* * *

In a dark world, made of white sand and shadows, a world of endless night, a group of horrible beings watched a smaller, stronger one, quietly listening to its words.

Some beings called such a horrid place home, if only because it was the only thing they had ever known.

One of the nastier inhabitants raised its head.

"**I will go.**"

-tbc-

A/N: And...things get serious...yikes. Next chapter is going to be a pain to write...going to have to pull on episodes and chapters heavily...

So much of a pain, I'm forcing the A/Ns on Cuzosu next time. Give me a little break...

Also, yes Japan has vending machines for _porn_. Try looking up Vending Machines in Japan on Google. You'll find a few sites that will list some of the strange things they have...vending machines are common there since most are pedestrians and there isn't that much vandalism.

Magic cookies for reviewers! Seriously, I would like reviews. All the favs and such are nice, but I'd like to know WHY you faved. So would Cuzosu I'm sure.

~Love Psycho

& Cuzosu

Out for now.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Like I said before, Cuzosu is going to do the A/N so I only have a few things to say before I hand it off to her. First, this was honestly the hardest chapter to write. Though, I think we managed to work out most kinks when it comes to communication in the process. Second, this chapter at the same time might be my current favourite. Last is flagrant advertising – I have a poll. Check it out. Now, onto Cuzosu!

Cuzosu's A/N: Definitely this chapter was a hassle to work out, but I agree – it's my favourite, too. Guess I have a soft spot for the difficult. Scenes 1, 4, 6, 8 and 9 were written by LP; scenes 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 were written by Cuzosu.

I had tons of problems with the flashbacks until the first one flowed... But at least that's over, now. Sorry for the slow update!

Still, I think this update will more than make up for the time it took. Hope you enjoy it!

**Warnings**: Yaoi/Yuri/Het, some blood & violence, mature content, Gender Bending and swearing. You don't like, you can always leave.

-start-

_**What To Do About Blue**_  
_Falling Rain/Blooming Hearts_

Grimmjow sat stiffly in Ichigo's room. She hadn't really moved from her spot since Ichigo had gone downstairs. The midget had left awhile back though – so that she could get to school without anyone realizing where she really was living.

The place was oppressive. Not only with Ichigo's reiatsu – but his sisters had enough each for Grimmjow to sense their emotional states. Different flavourings, but the same in the end. And if the three of four who had spiritual powers were experiencing dark emotions, Grimmjow would bet Panthera that the fourth, powerless one was feeling much the same.

Grimmjow didn't know the cause though. And she couldn't ask Ichigo when he was in such a state. She didn't know how he would react.

Besides...

A blush crossed her features and she scrubbed at her cheeks, in a futile attempt to remove it.

"_So much power. I've always wanted to find a man with power and integrity..."_

Why the hell had she done that!? Grimmjow dropped her head back to hit the wall. Okay, obviously that "beer" had actually been some kind of alcohol. And she had been stupid enough to drink...a lot. She'd lost count of how much she had.

The only conciliation she had was that it took even more to get her fully drunk. So she had been only a little...out of it when she had gone after Ichigo. (Or so she would like to think.)

The morning after had been worse.

"_Aoi. Wake up Aoi."_

_The voice made her groan, but she shifted and rolled over to look at the owner. She stared up at brown eyes – then it clicked._

_She whirled around so he wouldn't see her blush – did she...? No, no way!_

"_Aoi. Come on. You need to get up. I have to get to school and I can't leave you here alone." Ichigo sounded irritated. "I'm not leaving you alone again, not with what you got into yesterday."_

_Ichigo grabbed at the blankets and yanked them out. Grimmjow reacted in a manner that was probably over doing it, but she was stressed dammit._

_Ichigo almost fell over as he stumbled back from Grimmjow's angry hiss and claws. She glared at him and pulled the blankets back, cocooning herself in their folds._

_Ichigo stared for a moment longer then sighed, exhausted. "Fine. Just...don't do anything like that again. If you get hungry, contact me, okay?"_

The sound of the door shutting downstairs, drew her attention. Ichigo was leaving for school.

Grimmjow hesitated, then stood from the bed. The Mod Soul, who had been sitting nearby watched her. "Where are you going?"

Grimmjow paused at the open window. "Ichigo's school. I..." She trailed off. "I can't stay here anymore. I just.." She hesitated.

The Mod Soul slowly nodded. "Sure. You'd better come back though, else Ichigo's going to pitch a fit."

Grimmjow was silent for a moment. "Fine."

Then she was gone.

* * *

It didn't take her long to get to the school, but sitting around waiting grated on her nerves. Of course, it wasn't the _only _thing grating on her nerves...

Grimmjow was frustrated—not that such was an unusual state, not since she'd joined Aizen. But what _was _unusual was the reason of her ire: a certain orange haired Substitute Shinigami.

Okay, maybe that wasn't entirely fair. He didn't know anything about this yet, so it wasn't like he was doing it on purpose...

She didn't want to be attracted to anyone. Especially when she was bound to Aizen and thus in danger all the time anyway. And she _really _didn't like giving away her secrets, which made the possibility of any relationship slimmer still.

So as much as she might _want _someone—Ichigo—it wasn't likely to happen. Even if she did snarl a bit over the whole notion. Particularly that she might like a Human. Who was, somehow, a Substitute Shinigami. (And the Shinigami part was worse yet. Was she _ever _glad that none of her people had been with her! She would never live it down! Getting tipsy and flirting was bad enough, but if anyone found out the other two parts...) Not to mention the guy was tempting as hell, with that power and integrity and—_damn it_,she couldn't stop thinking about him!

Annoyed, the blue haired woman ran a hand through her hair, barely resisting the urge to tear entire strands out. Ichigo was hot, he was amazingly powerful, and, hell, she was in her lock month! Sure, the guy knew what family was and certainly was dead-set on protecting the one he had, but he didn't even know what she really was! If he found out, surely it would ruin any chance they had! She refused to get her hopes up!

The prickle of claws on her scalp made her start. If she was so out of sorts that she was changing without meaning to, she needed to go kill something or at least find a worthwhile distraction. But when she located Ichigo, framed in the window of his classroom...one of his classmates was watching him with open concern and the orange haired Substitute Shinigami was smiling such a creepy, fake smile that she was forcibly reminded of Aizen's top lackey, Ichimaru Gin.

Sharp eyes observing carefully, she noticed another classmate frown and lead the first off to one side. Grimmjow wasn't a pro at lip reading, but from what she could see, the dark haired female appeared to be an old friend of Ichigo's—at least, she acted like it, so that was Grimmjow's assumption—and moved like a fighter. The next time the orange haired female glanced at Ichigo, she seemed sad, no longer concerned. And there was an air about her... Whoever the orangette was, she liked the Substitute Shinigami as more than just friends.

Claws crunched into the building below her, testament to the agitation Grimmjow didn't want to admit to. '_That's it; I'm following Scrappy and,_' she watched the orangette flail at another female in a panic, then trip over her own feet and get caught by the dark haired "Scrappy," '_Klutz when they leave. Scrappy at least seems to have some idea what's going on._'

* * *

Though Scrappy had a slight spiritual presence and Klutz had slightly more, neither noticed Grimmjow as she lurked close to them, but carefully out of sight.

Yes, Grimmjow was eavesdropping shamelessly, but, well, cats and curiosity...

She bounded closer while their backs were turned, slipping along and blending into the crowd even though no one noticed her. When they got to a house—she neither knew nor cared whether it was Scrappy's or Klutz's—Grimmjow settled herself on the roof, above the window they opened but out of sight.

"We first met when we were four at the dojo I went to," said Scrappy. "His flashy hair colour, holding hands with such a pretty mom, smiling like crazy, so scrawny and grinning like an idiot... He looked incredibly puny. He really was. He cried whenever he lost."

Grimmjow wasn't sure whether to be amused at the mental image of a child Ichigo, or whether to scoff in disbelief at the notion of the Substitute Shinigami crying when he lost. He certainly hadn't cried when she'd beat the pants off him—metaphorically speaking, and why couldn't she stop thinking about getting into his pants?

"You know," said Scrappy, a grin in her voice, "at the dojo, I was the first one to make that guy cry. One blow to the upper body!"

Thoughts of Ichigo's current upper body made Grimmjow all but _purr_, until she shook herself aware again.

"It didn't take more than ten seconds that time. But, you know, even though he cried, he started smiling again in no time, whenever he saw the face of his mom when she came to pick him up. I really hated that."

Yeah, Grimmjow would have, too. Losers shouldn't smile. There was something inherently _wrong _with losers smiling.

"A man who loses shouldn't be smiling like an idiot! That's what I'd think when I saw that smile. He really was spoiled. And he stuck to his mom like glue. But...he looked so happy...laughing so pleasantly... That was...the beginning..."

Ears perked with interest, Grimmjow waited impatiently to understand why Scrappy sounded like she was trying not to cry. If this was an event that had such a lasting impact on Ichigo, the bluenette was definitely curious. Why would Ichigo not go to school tomorrow, even though school was so important to him?

"His mom died. When he was nine years old. Well, I was nine at that time too, but that doesn't really matter. Anyway, even at nine, he was still spoiled, grinning dumbly, and stuck to his mom. But she died. Starting the next day, he skipped school. When I wondered what he was up to and went looking for him, he was at the riverbank where his mother died, carrying his school bag from morning 'til night. It looked like he was searching for his mom...wandering, wandering... He would squat down as if he was tired...but soon after he'd then stand up to wander again... Every single day, from morning 'til night... It was so hard to see him like that...the Ichigo from that time..."

'_He mourns every year on the day his mom died? And his family does the same?_' This touched her deeply. Grimmjow had known that the Substitute Shinigami was caring—why else would he have taken her in and kept to that integrity, even though he'd known absolutely nothing about her?—but she hadn't realized just how deeply those feelings ran.

Lost in thought, Grimmjow rose and left, wandering the town as she tried to settle her mind.

* * *

The next day, instead of the younger Kurosaki going to school and their father working in the clinic, they went to the graveyard.

Grimmjow didn't know what to think of that. She knew of graveyards – where Humans laid the bodies of the dead to rest – but it was in an abstract form. It was never real to her.

She would have been fine with it remaining so, but the midget had insisted on going to the graveyard as well, just in case, she said. Knowing very well that she would have figured out a way to go no matter what Grimmjow did, she figured it would be easier to join her.

Though what the hell was easier about the midget waving and sparkling at Ichigo like a dork?

Apparently Ichigo agreed with her, as he quickly made his excuses to his sisters and raced up the hill to drag the midget away, Grimmjow following of lack of better things to do.

Hearing distantly the comment from the Spice Sister, she snorted and wondered what she would have thought if she had been capable of seeing her...

* * *

"Why did you follow me?!"

Rukia faced Ichigo calmly, sorry that she had to intrude on a day he normally spent in mourning but knowing that if she didn't, souls would be lost to Hollows. "Fool! What would you do if a Hollow attacks and I'm not nearby?"

"Just because of that... Y'know, if you were going to follow, you should've been more covert!"

She blinked. "Sorry about that. I wasn't aware."

Aoi raised a hand to her face, snorting at the hopeless Shinigami. That was insensitive; even Ulquiorra would have known better, and he didn't really understand emotions at all! To say nothing of the Shinigami's tone...

Ichigo paused, stunned to temporary silence by the anger in Rukia's voice. "What...are you so angry about?"

"Nothing," lied Rukia. "I'm not angry." There was a moment of silence as she tried to phrase her thoughts more politely, and then she gave up the attempt in favour of actually getting the subject aired. "...killed... That's what you told me. Your mother..."

"I didn't say that," denied Ichigo.

"Who killed her?"

Aoi sighed. This was going nowhere fast. Why did she tag along, again?

"I didn't say that," he told her again. "Forget it."

"You told me you could see ghosts for as long as you could remember. If that's so, answer just one question for me."

Uh-oh... Aoi had a _baaad _feeling about this...

"Wasn't the thing that killed your mother..."

Lunging forward, Aoi slapped her hand over the Shinigami's mouth just a second too late; the words were out before her hand got there.

"...a Hollow?"

'_Shit!_' Aoi cursed the other woman soundly, knowing that this was a hell of a time to bring up the subject. '_Stupid, stubborn Shinigami!_' She took a deep breath and concentrated on keeping her claws in as Ichigo stared in disbelief.

"It's possible!" exclaimed Rukia, adroitly ignoring the hand signals Aoi was using to make universal _shut up_, _stop it_,and _cut it out _gestures. "You've seen spirits for as long as you can remember, so if your spiritual density is that high, Hollows could have targeted you and mistaken your mother for..." She trailed off at the look on his face.

Face falling, the bluenette could only shake her head in despair. Were all Shinigami this dense?

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Ichigo yelled, vein throbbing with temper.

Rukia blinked, blown away by his sudden surge of temper.

"This isn't a joke. When it comes to you, anything and everything becomes the handiwork of Hollows. It was already something serious," he said, looking down at the ground. "You don't need...to find reasons like that... It wasn't a Hollow! Sorry, but you guessed wrong..." And his eyes flew wide as he saw something in the distance.

Aoi frowned, trying to figure out what had caught his interest so thoroughly.

"It...it can't be... Why here...?"

Rukia frowned, just as perplexed as Aoi was. "...what's wrong, Ichi -"

The Substitute Shinigami took off, leaving the women to call out behind him, bewildered.

'_Damn it! Is this some sort of Shinigami trait I don't understand, tearing around trying to catch reflections or something? Or is it a Kurosaki thing?_' A glance to her side made her choose the latter, since Shinigami-san seemed just as confused as she was.

Two pairs of wary, watchful eyes looked over the spot that had had Ichigo so astounded. There was nothing. Either it had disappeared, or...

Well, if there was something there, hopefully Ichigo would catch it.

* * *

As soon as Ichigo was out of sight, Grimmjow grabbed the shocked Rukia who looked like she was going to follow him and hauled her back.

SLAP.

The midget blinked in surprise and stared up at the bluenette above her. "Wha...what?"

Grimmjow snarled. "Are you stupid!? You should have known better, _Shinigami_." Her blue eyes bored into the smaller girl, who flinched. "This is a sensitive topic to Ichigo and...gah! If _I_ know not to bother him about it, you should as well! Don't you have _anything_ that you'd hate to talk about, something you blame yourself for with _every fibre of your being_?"

Rukia stared up at her and paled. Then slowly nodded. "I..." She slumped. "I shouldn't have pressed...but...I was worried and I thought..." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm a fool."

Grimmjow sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, you are."

There was a moment of silence then a beeping sound attracted their attention. Rukia blinked in surprise, then reached into her bag to pull out her Denreishinki and flip it open. She froze.

"Oh...no..."

Grimmjow peered over to look at the screen and froze as well. She didn't know for certain, but she suspected the numbers told the Shinigami the power level of the Hollow as well as location.

If she was reading this right, this one was strong. Very strong.

And right in the graveyard.

"Shit."

Rukia whirled around and made to find Ichigo but paused briefly in confusion. Grimmjow, realizing what it was, sighed and grabbed her hand. "Follow me!"

It didn't take much time and they eventually reached Ichigo where he was standing in the middle of a small trail in the woods surrounding the graveyard. Rukia pulled out Kon, whom she had brought with her in her bag, and called out to Ichigo.

"Ichigo! Hollow!" She panted, then when they reached Ichigo bent over to catch her breath. Ichigo stared at her, his expression inscrutable. "What is it Rukia?"

Seeing that the midget was still struggling to breath, and swearing over the stupid gigai's limits, Grimmjow spoke instead. "There's a Hollow in the graveyard. A powerful one."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Karin...Yuzu..." He grabbed Kon, and ignored his complaints as he pulled out the pill from the stuffed toy and swallowed it. With a burst, he was out of his human body. Rukia, having recovered by then, followed him quickly.

Kon blinked and looked over at Grimmjow. She sighed and raced after them, ignoring Kon's cries.

As she approached them, she slowed down as she heard them speaking. As they spoke, something in her chest clenched.

"You're not going to ask anything about my Kaa-san?" Ichigo's voice was hesitant, wondering.

"If I did, would you answer? It's your problem. It's a deep, deep problem. I have no way to ask about that...I have no elegant way of stepping into your heart to ask about that without tracking in filth. So I will wait. Someday when you want to tell me, tell me then. I'll wait until then." Rukia's voice rose with confidence and quiet patience as her words poured out. And Grimmjow caught their expressions.

They were connecting on some level she doubt she ever could. It made her wonder...

'_Did the Shinigami have anything like what happened to Ichigo? Anything..._' She remembered the midget's expression when she pointed out how she must have hurt Ichigo. She closed her eyes. "I can't step in," she murmured.

'_I have no rights here._'

They reached the Hollow then. Grimmjow halted and backtracked out of sight and clamped down on her signature.

'_What the hell...is the __**Grand Fisher**__ doing here? Isn't he Aizen's new low end attack dog?_'

And then Ichigo spotted the lure...and everything fell apart...

* * *

That lure, the thing that smelled so strongly of the Hollow, was vaguely familiar. In the back of her mind, worry for Ichigo gathered.

Quickly pushing that aside, the bluenette focused instead on her surroundings. There was that other Hollow to deal with, after all. Though she had every intention of staying out of it; no use getting Aizen pissed if he ever found out. She had enough problems without that.

So she watched as Ichigo charged in headfirst—without considering how dangerous his opponent might be, which seemed to be a habit of his—and sliced through the tentacle holding the sugar sister in the air. He was good, she gave him that much; he even caught his sister before she hit the ground, only to whirl, still holding her, and sever the limb which pinned the spice sister. Setting the sugar sister down, he moved a little away from them, still between his siblings and the Hollow.

The thing that reeked of the Grand Fisher's reiatsu seemed to realize some of what was going on. "A Shinigami!" it exclaimed.

Ichigo eyed the thing warily. "...what's going on here...? You...you were the one at the river's edge that time...! Six years ago...! Why are you here...? How come...you're with a Hollow...!?"

It frowned at him in obvious bafflement. "Six years ago...? I don't remember that far back... I see... So you've seen me before..."

"That's right! What the hell are you!? A Hollow's crony!? Or controlled by a Hollow!? Say something!"

'_If only you knew..._' Grimmjow was pretty sure the thing was one of the Hollow's abilities; nothing reeked so much of a Hollow otherwise, if it was separate. And this was currently an entirely different being.

Watching the Substitute Shinigami's chest heave with emotional turmoil, Grimmjow took the time to admire his physique. He really was fit, lean but muscled, with a determination that made him impossible to keep down.

If he was a Hollow, she'd jump him in a second. Just to be able to play with that delectable body. But he wasn't. And if she was honest with herself—which she wasn't sure she wanted to be, just yet—that kind of sucked.

"Both are wrong...**boy**," stated the thing, its eyes narrowing. It almost looked feminine, but there was a subtle wrongness about it.

Ichigo's eyes flew wide. "... You're...! You... You're... What the... What the hell are you...!?" Aghast, he took a half step back.

Grimmjow took advantage of their distraction to sneak over and move the Kurosaki sisters a little further away, behind a convenient boulder and out of sight of both the Hollow and its...whatever the hell that thing was. Then she settled herself in a nearby tree, crouched like the feline she was. She wasn't sure what she thought she was going to do—she still had no intention of interfering if she could help it, because Aizen would probably sic Gin on her, and Gin was the most twisted, cruel being she'd ever had the misfortune to meet. Even Nnoitra walked warily around the silver haired Shinigami.

The thing smiled. "**...a guy who has seen my form and yet survived... Heheh... You...are a lucky guy.**" Its face seemed to peel away in the middle, revealing a white dome with a hole in the top, the skin wrinkling as it sagged.

Nose crinkled with disgust, Grimmjow remembered the first time she'd met Ichigo; it was a far better sight than this.

_Unaware of the approaching presence, Grimmjow focused on her wound. It was deep—deeper than she'd thought. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to run if Nnoitra followed..._

"_Hey. You okay?"_

_Startled and noticing the Shinigami presence, blue eyes flew wide as her head jerked up to stare at him. A blink later she was doing her damnedest to run—and having no success. He wasn't injured; she was...and limping wasn't conducive to running. A surge of rage kick started her fighting instincts, claws emerging even as she clenched her fists. She'd take him by surprise, the second he gave her a chance! Enemies were to be killed, and Shinigami were enemies! Though...why wasn't this one trying to kill her?_

"_Hey, it's okay," the strange Shinigami said. He still hadn't attacked her. "I won't hurt you. You look like you need help."_

_Her inner smartass tried to rear its head, but the Shinigami stretched a hand out before she could say a word. She nearly recoiled, thinking he was going to finally attack, but the hand just stayed there, waiting._

"_Come on. I can get you to safety..."_

_Well. That was—wait, __**what?! **__What the hell was a Shinigami doing, offering to help her?! Utterly confused, she fell back on that reflexive emotion: anger._

"_Go away, **Shinigami**! I don't need your help!"_

_That was a load of bull, and obviously he knew it, too, because his next words were: "Like hell you don't. Look, I don't know what you are or what your problem with Shinigami is. I don't care. You need help, so I'm going to give it to you. You can argue all you want, but it would be easier for the both of us if you let me help." He paused and she thought he was done, but then he added, "Besides, I'm a Substitute. Not a real Shinigami."_

_...what the hell was a __**Substitute **__Shinigami? They only killed Hollows part time or something? This guy made no sense whatsoever..._

"_You...don't know what I am?" Surely he'd be killing her if he knew. That was what Shinigami __**did**__._

_He shrugged. "Nope. But I'm going to help you anyways."_

_That...was baffling. "Why?" She was pretty sure her confusion showed clearly on her face. After all, she didn't know anyone who would help another without knowing a damn thing about the person. Hollows were all too aware that it could be a Vasto Lorde or a Shinigami in disguise._

"_Because it's the right thing to do. Come on, let me help you get up."_

_Stunned and speechless, her body obeyed without consulting her brain. This was an utterly new concept, and she had no idea what to make of it._

_Standing without thought nearly cost her that last trace of dignity; she almost fell before she caught herself, with a little help. Temper flaring at her helplessness, she knew she was blushing and glared to one side. Hobbling down the street was going to be a painful, miserable ordeal._

_And then, out of the blue not even three blocks away, he swept her into his arms without warning, this orange haired Substitute Shinigami, and carried her the rest of the way._

_Grimmjow didn't know what to make of it. By rights she ought to have been livid—he hadn't asked and didn't apologize, and on top of that, she'd never asked for his help to begin with! But at the same time, she was kind of pleased; she hadn't wanted to walk on an injured leg...and this guy didn't seem half bad._

_What was she __**thinking? **__He was a Shinigami, damn it! He couldn't be that...that...that __**nice **__to a Hollow—and wouldn't be once he found out, surely!_

_...but he was being kind—and she didn't think that was an act. Which, frankly, confused her horribly, and pissed her off all over again in the process. Grimmjow never had liked being confused._

_Eventually she decided to wait and see what happened—and about the time she made up her mind, they finally arrived at the orange haired male's safe place: his house._

Yes, Ichigo'd taken her in and cared for her, and she didn't know what to do—for or about him. Had no idea what to think.

Was this what normal Shinigami were like? Or was he just as abnormal, in his own way, as the three she already knew? She wasn't sure, and then she met Shinigami-san, who seemed just as strange in her way, too. Did the odd ones just somehow find each other, or something? Because she had no idea what to make of either of her new acquaintances.

_Grimmjow still wasn't sure what to make of the Substitute Shinigami when the other Shinigami came in. She had dark hair, a serious mien, and was...short. Abrupt—much like Grimmjow herself, to the bluenette's surprise—and with a tendency to boss people around, but she seemed perfectly amiable apart from that._

_...was there something **wrong **with these two, or was this how Shinigami were supposed to be? Had Seireitei gone so off track that they were the ones behaving poorly, or were Shinigami-san and this Kurosaki Substitute person the odd ones out?_

_It was so confusing! Shaking her head with a silent snarl, Grimmjow opted for the only path that seemed anywhere near sane: sleep. And then the oranget refused to let her sleep anywhere but in his bed, which had her wary and on guard until she realized he would sleep on the floor._

_There had to be something strange about this Substitute Shinigami. Had to be. And maybe it was something learned from this Shinigami living with him._

Then Kon came in, and he was different, too. Maybe there was something to her theory? Strangeness begetting strangeness?

_Having come in late the night before, the first thing the bluenette knew about Kon was when, to her confusion and subsequent amusement, a stuffed toy leaped upon and began pummelling Ichigo. And Ichigo, in a fit of temper, had thrown it at her._

_Not expecting to suddenly have something suddenly snuggling up to her breasts, she'd made a startled sound—she'd deny it later—and held it out at arm's length to be examined._

_Plush form still, the strange thing stared at her. "Ichigo! You didn't tell me you knew such a hot chick!" It eyed her up and down, focused mostly on her chest, and held a stuffed hand out in the Substitute's direction in some gesture she didn't understand. "Good job!"_

_Her first reaction was anger, though the tiny thing posed no threat to her in any way. But before she could lash out, the oranget sputtered, "Dammit, Kon! She's a friend!"_

_Surprise made her blink, frozen with shock. Friend? She'd never had friends before – just her Pack, just temporary allies...just rivals and enemies and underlings._

"_Ah," said the stuffed toy. "I see...she's free uh?" Its face turned toward her. "Hey...looking good...want some proper company?" Eyebrows waggled at her in some odd version of flirting._

_Maybe it was her feline side, but she really wanted to bat him around with her paws, like a cat with a mouse... She didn't even realize that her expression was thunderous. "You..."_

_Apparently realizing he'd just tossed the stuffed thing to someone who didn't know whether it was friend or foe, Ichigo said, "Oi, don't kill him."_

_Her head swung to look at him, glare not abating in the least._

"_Like you," he told her, grabbing clothes and heading for the door, "he's under my protection." There was a sigh that said he was just as unhappy with the stuffed thing's behaviour as she was. "No matter how annoying he gets..."_

_She watched him walk away, then kicked the plushie spitefully. And when it hit the closet door, she didn't turn a hair. But it yelped, and the noise drew Shinigami's attention._

_Shinigami-san opened the closet door and took in the scene, seemingly amused. "Seems you've met the new addition."_

_Scowling, she crossed her arms. "Yeah," she grumbled. "What is he?" It had to be a he; it acted just like the males she knew—the Hollow ones, anyway. Though it **was** possible Ichigo existed in his own category._

_The explanation was intriguing, rousing Grimmjow's curiosity—though the Mod Soul's, Kon's, stance on not killing **anything **seemed a tad extreme to her. Some things just deserved to die, while some situations were kill or be killed..._

Well, that was probably one stance that no Hollow would understand. As for Ichigo's oddities...

_It was the first time she'd participated in a fight with the two Shinigami present, and Grimmjow refused to draw her sword. It was too Hollow; it would give her away, and she wasn't ready for that. So when she leaped in head first, they shouted and worried and rushed to get in her way—when she was feeling charitable, she might admit that they probably meant to protect her, but what really happened was nearly interference—and she had to duck out of their way. When the Hollow lashed out at Shinigami-san's unprotected back, Grimmjow lashed out with a good helping of pent-up fury, half severing the limb. Shinigami-san's expression, mouth agape and astonished, made her grin as she waded in and dealt out punishing blows, distracting the Hollow as Ichigo jumped to purify it._

_Fight over, she dusted off her hands and was turning to saunter off and find food when Ichigo spoke._

"_Damn, you're good. Would you teach me how to do that?"_

_And she'd been sure he was going to make a comment about women fighting. His actual words caught her so completely off guard that she was tongue-tied, couldn't think of a word to say._

"_He's got a point," said Shinigami-san. "You're better at hand to hand combat than I am; he'd learn better from you, I think."_

_What was she supposed to say to that? She acquiesced, baffled. Surely he would balk at the training, though. No male wanted to learn from a woman who could beat them, not really..._

_And then he went and proved her wrong! She wasn't going easy on him, so in the beginning he was almost continually knocked on his ass, eating dirt...and he'd just keep coming back! He even said thanks at the end of each lesson, telling her he thought he was getting the hang of it better! (And, okay, he __**was**__, but what the hell? What kind of male was he?)_

_On top of that, he learned __**fast. **__And the harder she was on him, the faster he learned. It was astounding! She'd been sure he'd be discouraged if a woman kept trouncing him so completely, but it didn't seem to bother him at all!_

Now she understood, though; he'd learned from a young age that females could be stronger than he was in fights. Sometimes eavesdropping was highly informative.

Then there was the clothes incident...

"_Do you have any other clothes?" Ichigo queried._

"_I didn't exactly have time to pack," she told him dryly._

_So they'd wound up in a clothing store with Shinigami-san, and some of the things they wanted her to try on were little tiny scraps of cloth. She didn't understand, so she asked._

"_What are these?"_

_Shinigami-san blinked, but Ichigo's mouth opened and closed like a fish; he was completely at a loss for words. And then his face turned so red... Grimmjow knew immediately: she had to get him to turn that shade again, somehow!_

"_These," Shinigami-san explained, a mysterious twinkle in her eyes, "are bras." She held up one set of scraps. "And these are panties." She held up the other. "This is how you wear them."_

_She'd proceeded to demonstrate, but then she ushered Grimmjow into the changing room and helped her try on the clothes. This made Grimmjow relatively sure: she'd only demonstrated how the clothes should be worn earlier because it made Ichigo turn red._

Although the underclothes could sometimes be uncomfortable (and made her itch like hell), Grimmjow had to admit that they made her life easier. Now she could kick males without having to worry about flashing them, and the thing called a bra certainly helped hold her boobs up and keep them from jiggling as much.

A flash of movement caught her eye, rousing her inner feline. It was a thick, rope-like something which shot from the head of the thing to the Hollow. And it dangled before Ichigo, skin split in two and hanging loose to either side like a banana peel, as the Hollow taunted him. The Substitute Shinigami threw himself forward, attacking in a fit of rage, and the dark haired woman below her cried out in denial, worry plain on her face.

'._..he could've asked me to leave after I got tipsy, because I know I made him uncomfortable. But he didn't. He's too kind. And he's powerful, and honest, and...all the things I want in a mate, even if he's not a Hollow._' Grimmjow wasn't entirely happy to admit it, because if Aizen ever found out, she was toast, but some things were just worth fighting for.

A worthy mate was definitely one of them.

* * *

His blood was pounding through his veins. His eyes went from the massive Hollow to the little girl – the lure.

Rapid thoughts whisked through his head, clicking and putting into place all the facts. It summed up to one thing, and one thing alone: His mother had been eaten by a Hollow.

This Hollow. Ate. His. Mom.

Rage started to filter through his body, setting his blood ablaze and proving that seeing red wasn't always just a phrase.

"You son of a bitch!" Ichigo screamed, and attacked – only to be whisked away by a sharp claw. He just barely avoided being impaled and twisted, managing to land on his feet. He skidded back on the grass though.

That's when the dark clouds that had been slowly approaching the entire day opened up.

And a yowl of pure feline rage hit – just as the claws struck at him.

The Hollow hit its mark. Ichigo survived, thankfully.

Aoi hit her mark. The Hollow survived, unfortunately.

Ichigo choked and lifted one of his hands from his Zanpakutō, gripping the claw that was in his chest. It took some effort, but he managed to get it out.

It was helped – and complicated – by the Hollow's scream of fury and pain and the way it jerked about.

Aoi was on its back and Ichigo saw flickers of blue around her before the Hollow managed to toss her off. She landed on her feet, easily and hissed at him. Ichigo wouldn't have been surprised if there had been cat ears on her head, flattened back and a tail twitching behind her.

He did see the claws, though, and when she opened her mouth, he saw the fangs.

Once again, he wondered what exactly she was – aside from a spiritual being of a sort.

"Fuck off, Grand Fisher."

Never let it be said that Aoi couldn't be eloquent when she didn't want to be.

The Hollow focused it's eyes on her. "**You...you're...but you're...**"

She growled. "Shut up," she snapped. "You continue this fight and I'll tear you to little pieces."

The Hollow hesitated. Then something like a sneer crossed it's mask. "**No you can't. Not without **_**him**_** noticing. And I don't know exactly, but **_**he**_** wouldn't take kindly to one of your kind doing something on her own initiative. Especially since I was **_**personally**_** asked to come here.**"

Aoi stiffed. "You..." Her eyes flicked over to Ichigo. Then flicked back to the Hollow. She growled but her stance had shifted. She wasn't sure. She...almost seemed frightened.

Ichigo didn't know, but it seemed like the Hollow knew her – somewhat. But right now, Ichigo didn't give a shit.

"Back off."

Aoi straightened and whirled on him. "What?"

"Back. Off. He's mine." Ichigo gritted through his teeth and approached the Hollow.

"What...are you stupid?! He's out of your league..."

"I know that!" The oranget yelled. "I don't care." He glared at the Hollow. "That _thing_, killed my mother. This is personal. Step aside."

The Hollow laughed. "**Ah yes. I remember now. You were that little boy who smelled so **_**tasty**_**. I would have eaten you too, but that woman got in the way. I couldn't resist – women are just so...**_**delicious**_**.**" It licked its lips.

Ichigo snarled and charged right at it. It dodged, surprisingly fast for its size. The fact it could use its "hair" or "fur" as a weapon didn't help either.

Ichigo yelled in pain, struggling and chopping at the razor sharp tendrils and working his way out. He took position a little away from the Hollow, gritting his teeth and prepping himself for the battle in the rain, as the water made the grass slippery and changed solid ground into sticky mud.

The Hollow laughed. "**Yes. I know you. I know your heart.**" It reached up with a claw and wrapped it around the lure, dragging down the body of it. "**I know your weaknesses.**"

Ichigo froze.

There was his mom, Kurosaki Masaki.

The lure had taken his mother's form.

"Wha...what the hell is that?!"

The Hollow laughed harder. "**You see, I've found this out during the years – everyone has someone. Someone they could never hurt, never cause pain to. This woman is yours, is it not?**"

"Ichigo..."

Ichigo flinched at the voice of his mother coming from...that _thing_. "You...you bastard!"

He charged at the Hollow, only to pull back when the lure approached him. "Ichigo...please...please...don't hurt me!"

The Hollow laughed at the expression on Ichigo's face – horror and pain. "Yes...yes..." It moved fast and impaled him with its claws.

Or so that was the plan.

The Grand Fisher bellowed in pain as its limbs were ripped from it's body. Aoi snarled and stabbed at the creature with its own limbs. It screamed and pulled back, writhing in pain.

"Aoi..." Ichigo stared in shock then narrowed his eyes. "I told you to stay back! This is my fight!"

Aoi whirled on him.

SLAP.

Ichigo froze, his head turned from the strength of Aoi's blow. He slowly turned it back to look at her. "Wha..."

"YOU IDIOT!" She screamed. "How...how dare you...have you...have you lost your mind!?" She glared at him, her body heaving in anger. "Don't you realize that there are people who consider you precious? People who you would hurt if you died!"

Ichigo stared at her and swallowed. Her eyes... "Aoi...I..."

Aoi suddenly seemed to realize what she was implying and a streak of red crossed her face. "Ichigo...I...don't...don't die in front of me. I can't...watch...and do nothing if that is the threat."

Their gazes held. Ichigo's auburn in confusion and Aoi's bright blue in a mixture of determination and embarrassment. Slowly, Ichigo nodded. "I...I understand."

The Hollow roared, regenerating it's lost limbs. "**YOU BITCH!**" It turned on Aoi. "**You think you'll get away with this?! I'll report this to him and he'll...**" It broke off with a scream as Aoi slammed her foot in it's mask.

"Shut up. You won't be able to tell him anything. Not if you're slain by a Shinigami."

The Hollow screamed in rage – only to run into Ichigo's Zanpakutō, having forgotten his presence. The lure wasn't in the way. Ichigo had free reign to chop at it.

Aoi grinned, a nasty predatory one. "Take that."

Ichigo panted, his large Zanpakutō impaled in the ground. "Did...did I get him?"

A dark laugh made them turn – it was the lure. It hadn't disappeared with the Hollow...no...it was...

The form that appeared to be Masaki laughed. "**Foolish boy. How did you think I'd survived this long? That form was the extension, I am the lure!**"

Ichigo pulled his Zanpakutō from the ground. "You..."

It laughed. "**You can't hurt this form can you? You can't hurt your poor mama's face...**"

It stopped laughing when Aoi grabbed it's hair and slammed it into the ground. "Ichigo can't. But I can."

The Hollow snarled and turned on Aoi – revealing the true monstrous appearance as Masaki's appearance was twisted into something predatory when Grand Fisher moved to fight Aoi.

It was an appearance that Ichigo could attack.

The Hollow stopped and looked down at the sword stabbed through it. "**No...no...you...are just a brat...**"

Ichigo snarled. "This is for my Kaa-san, you son of a bitch."

And so Grand Fisher...ended. The form disappearing into many lights and rose into the sky. After fifty years it had been purified.

Ichigo dropped to the wet ground, the rain beginning to end and trail off, the clouds slowly disappearing revealing the setting sun. "I...did it." He looked up at Aoi. "Thank you. I couldn't..."

Aoi gave a small smile. "Yeah. You did it."

And Ichigo...smiled back.

'_I did it...Kaa-san. I...saved you. Rest...in peace._'

* * *

Ichigo stood in front of his mother's grave and for once did not feel like a great weight had been dropped on him. All the negative emotions – guilt, regret, self-hatred and deep dark sorrow – were gone. There was a sense of peace instead, as he stared at the kanji that spelled out his mother's name. There was sorrow of course, but of a lighter variety. He knew she was gone – but he wasn't to blame.

And he had saved her.

The sounds of quiet footsteps caused him to turn. He blinked. "Oyaji..."

Kurosaki Isshin gave a small smile and joined his son at staring at the grave. "Last place I look is the first place I should, huh?"

There is a moment of silence as they both stare at the grave, then the sound of a lighter being lit. Ichigo stares. "I thought you quit after Karin and Yuzu were born."

Isshin nodded and blew out a breath of smoke. "She complimented me on it when we first started dating. 'Your hand looks cool when you're smoking,' she said." He gave a wry grin. "Thinking about it now, that was the first and last time she complimented me. So I smoke this one day every year. Here in front of her."

Ichigo gave a quiet sound. "I see..." He hesitated, then decided to ask a question that had been bothering him for a long time – he just never asked, too filled with grief. "Why doesn't anyone blame me." His voice cracked with grief, as some of the old, bitter emotions rose for one last attack. "It...it's too hard. If you had ever just teared into me... Why..."

Isshin stared at him. "Why should I ever blame you?"

Ichigo's expression shifted to surprise and he turned to his father.

Isshin smiled. "If I blamed you for Masaki's death, she'd get angry at me. It wasn't anyone's fault that Masaki died. It's just that...the woman I fell in love with was a woman who wouldn't mind dying to protect her kid."

Isshin turned to his son and gave a big grin and winked. "And remember, you're the man the woman I fell in love with died to protect."

Ichigo stared at him. '_It's rare,_' He thought briefly. '_For the old man to act...like a proper man. A proper father. But it's always nice when he does, if odd._' "Oyaji..."

Isshin walked past him – then turned around and kicked him in the back. Ichigo yelped in pain.

While he was writhing in pain, Isshin spoke, making him stop and turn to look at him. "Live life to the fullest, Ichigo."

Ichigo stared at his father's retreating back.

"Live life to the fullest...age to the fullest...go bald to the fullest...and die long after I do." He paused. "And if possible, die with a smile on your face. Otherwise I won't be able to look Masaki in the eye." He turned to look at his son and gave a soft smile. "Thank you though. For finally speaking about it. I couldn't talk to you about it until you were ready to hear it."

He turned around again. "You've grown into a fine man. Masaki would be proud...and I am proud too."

Then he walked away with a casual wave, commenting that he would be waiting below, leaving Ichigo much to think about, staring at Masaki's grave.

The sound of other, softer footsteps made him turn. He blinked. "Aoi..."

The bluenette stepped forwards hesitantly, then stood beside Ichigo, looking down at the grave. "This...is where your mother's body was laid to rest?" she asked quietly.

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah."

Aoi crouched down and traced the kanji with her eyes.

**Here lies Kurosaki Masaki, beloved wife, beloved mother and beloved all around.**

"Uh...why do you bury the body? They are, in essence, already gone. So why bother?"

Ichigo stared at her. "What do _you_ do with bodies?"

Aoi hesitated. "Nothing. They..." She paused. "They don't last long. Where I am from...where I am from, it is a harsh place. A dangerous place. You...don't dare burden yourself with anything but yourself..." She paused. "No matter what...all you can do is get stronger."

Ichigo considered that. '_Aoi...if her home was like that, I can understand...why kindness would be foreign to her in that case. Why she tries so hard to be able to take care of herself. Why she would be such a good warrior. She didn't have any choice._'

He didn't say any of that though. "We bury them, I guess, for comfort. Because...we were cared for by them and we cared for them. So I guess we want to continue caring for them." He gave a small laugh. "I know that talking and caring for the grave does nothing for the ghost – and that speaking and prayer to small shrines..." He hesitated, thinking of Inoue and her brother. "They can make things worse if they happen to be around."

"But...that doesn't mean the living don't need comfort. We need to know, even if we are fooling ourselves, that we have meaning. That those we lost are going to be okay."

Aoi looked up at him, a confused look on her face. "Comfort..."

She stood up again, and fixed her gaze on the grave. "I...have been wondering something for awhile." She hesitated. "What, exactly, do you think of Hollows?"

Ichigo blinked. '_That's...an odd question._' However, he approached it seriously. "Um...well, I never truly thought about it but...I don't think I hate them as a whole."

Aoi startled and turned. "Ichigo..."

"I mean, sure they attack humans and Plus. They hurt others and in the end can be considered monsters...but I don't hate them. Because...in a way, they should be pitied, right?" He looked over and gave her a direct gaze. "Because they lost so much...and...maybe there is another way to save them, aside from purifying them. Not all the time but...maybe there are circumstances..." He gave a small snort and grinned. "I don't really know much about the spirit world in the end. But...I do know personally a Hollow that resisted. Inoue...her brother turned into a Hollow and would have eaten her. But...Inoue somehow managed to get through to him and he...took off his mask and used my Zanpakutō to purify himself...so maybe..."

Ichigo had turned back to look at the grave, so he didn't noticed Aoi's look of shock.

'_A...lesser Hollow removed his mask?_' She thought, surprised. '_But he didn't...do the usual. Instead...he choose to be purified. Was that...ever supposed to be possible?_' She then frowned. "Who's Inoue?"

Ichigo briefly stared at her. "Girl in my class who has orange hair like me...rather...developed..."

Enlightenment flashed in Aoi's eyes. "Ah, Klutz."

Ichigo blinked. "Klutz...? I would...have thought you would...have..." He trailed off and blushed. "...used another nickname."

Aoi rolled her eyes. "Like hell. I already got some of my own to deal with." She gestured at her own assets as she said that, causing a deeper blush to cross Ichigo's face. He struggled to pull it down and looked back at the grave, wrestling his thoughts back to the previous track.

"But I don't know in the end. All I can do is purify the Hollows that do attack, hoping...that they will be saved." He paused. "That Grand Fisher...it didn't go to Hell. I saw the gates once...but the Grand Fisher, despite what it had done...didn't go. I wonder...who it was once. What it had been like as a human..."

Ichigo closed his eyes for moment of thought. Then opened them. "I guess it doesn't matter." He turned to look back at Aoi. "But if I ever meet a Hollow that...does seem to be...on the way to being saved or seemed to be...human...I don't think I'd hurt them. Not unless they hurt or threaten someone I cared for."

Aoi held his gaze for a moment, her face rather blank as inside her insides did a dance and her heart – the organ – beat a rapid pace.

Then she closed the distance between them.

Ichigo's eyes widened at the soft kiss, then slowly they closed and he gently leaned into the sweet kiss. Slowly, they separated and Ichigo looked curiously at the bluenette. "Aoi?"

She smiled, a real true smile. "You are a good man Ichigo. A very good man...I...am honoured to have met you."

Ichigo stared at her...then slowly, he smiled back.

* * *

From her place in hiding, watching over the orange haired Substitute and the temperamental bluenette, Rukia lifted a hand to her mouth. This was _adorable! _They were such a cute couple!

She giggled softly into her hand, aware that Aoi's sharp hearing would catch her if she wasn't quiet. And then Aoi leaned forward, spurring the Shinigami to whip out her Denreishinki.

'_It's a good thing Urahara added that special attachment after we unexpectedly wound up with Kon! I want photos!_'

Raising the Denreishinki, she zoomed in close enough to get both of them and the grave in the image. Thankfully there was no shutter to make noise and give her away when she pressed the button; if Aoi didn't kill her, Ichigo would be embarrassed and surly for the rest of the week, at least...

This moment would remain fresh in her memory for the rest of her life...with a little help from the visual aid, of course. She looked at the screen, still showing the image of that brief, sweet kiss. Grinning happily, she silently cheered, '_Go get him, Aoi!_'

Yes, she was on their side. Maybe other Shinigami wouldn't agree with her decision, but she wanted them both safe and happy. Especially if they could be safe and happy together.

She was pretty sure they could. The somber talk at the grave, the way Aoi had looked at Ichigo with her heart in her eyes, and then the kiss... If that wasn't the start of a meaningful relationship, what was? They deserved a chance. If that meant Rukia had to help them along here and there, well, she was more than willing to do so.

-tbc-

A/N from Cuzosu: Writing this is a blast – and we love to hear from you readers! So drop a line! Tell us how we're doing! And thanks to everyone who's reviewed! And, to those who may be disappointed by the lack of other Espada this chapter: don't worry! We're not going to leave them out for long! After all, we like writing them, too.

A/N from Love Psycho: Thanks for reading! Magic pie for reviewers! And certainly there will be more Espada...and, well Las Noches in general. And HOLY SHIT I think this is the longest chapter yet...

~Love Psycho

& Cuzosu

Out for now.


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